A Tainted Legacy
by DragonShadow
Summary: A force has returned from the past to take revenge on those who caused the deaths of those he loved.
1. Part 1

(Note: This fic was planned before "Sonic Heroes" was released, and doesn't include that in the timeline)  
  
A Tainted Legacy  
  
Space was as calm as it ever was, with the infinite twinkling stars the only company for the massive ship that hurtled through it toward a beautiful planet. The Great Fox was an old vessel, but still as powerful and fast as ever thanks to the tireless efforts of its crew. There was nothing they wouldn't do to keep it in shape and keep the Starfox Team together. It had existed since before its leader was born... he wasn't about to let it fade.  
  
"Will you pay up or not?" Fox McCloud asked irritably from his comfortable captains chair in the middle of the bridge. "Because we always have a steady job at Corneria if you would rather not."  
  
"Fine, I'll pay, but only after the target is destroyed." The static-covered figure replied irritably before he cut the transmission. Fox looked to the side, giving his teammates a thumbs up.  
  
"With that much cash, we'll be able to outfit the Great Fox with those new ion engines." Slippy Toad commented eagerly. His slimy green skin made the others avoid contact with him generally, but he was a wizard with making the Great Fox and Arwings run at maximum capacity. "We could cover half a galaxy in the span of a day."  
  
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Falco Lambardi reminded him, walking over to stand beside Fox's chair. His feathers were slicked down against his body since he couldn't actually fly without his Arwing. He was also the best pilot in the team next to Fox himself. "We have to catch this guy first, and from the sound of it, he's a pretty bad egg."  
  
"If he wasn't a bad egg we wouldn't take the job." Fox stood up and straightened out his flight jacket, looking around the bridge of the ship. "Has anyone seen Peppy today? We have to get down to the surface and nab this guy. We can't do it without him." Slippy shrugged his shoulders and Falco shook his head. "Falco... get ready for takeoff. Slippy, you'll stay with the Great Fox."  
  
"Right." Fox's shipmates turned to their duties as Fox turned to head into the back of the ship. He stopped outside the door to Peppy's quarters, listening for any movement inside. It was silent, so he put one hand on the door and pushes it open. The room was dimly lit, only the twinkling stars outside the reinforced window illuminated the old rabbit sitting in a comfortable chair on the other side of the room. The pair of ears sticking out above the chair didn't even twitch when he entered.  
  
"Peppy, what are you doing?" Fox reached over and turned up the light so that he could see his old friend. The gray hairs that had once been spotty had taken over the rabbit's features. The spectacles he needed to see were tucked into one pocket. He was staring up at Fox, squinting at the sudden light. "We have a job to do... we need you to fly with us. This could be a tough one."  
  
"I don't think I can do it Fox." Peppy shook his head, his ears drooping slightly. Fox cocked his head to the side. The old rabbit raised one hand. It shook and swayed side to side, as if he were caught in an earthquake only he could feel. "My old nerves are getting the better of me..."  
  
"Don't worry about it, you're one of the best pilots I've ever known." Fox walked up to him, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm sure you can handle it." He said in a softer tone. Peppy was the last remaining member of the original Starfox Team, of which Fox's father, James McCloud, had been the leader. The wizened old rabbit looked up at him with an accepting gaze, shaking his head.  
  
"No... I can't." Peppy said simply. Fox looked down at the ground, lowering his arms to his side. "I think it's time I leave the team, Fox." He stood up, moving stiffly over to the bookcase beside his bed. "I would rather stay here with my books than go flying through space anymore..." He didn't look back at Fox, remaining silent.  
  
"Me and Falco are heading out... you and Slippy maintain the ship..." Fox told him. Peppy nodded wordlessly, not looking back at him. So Fox left the old rabbit's quarters and made his way down to the hangar bay. Falco gave him a quizzical glance when he noticed that Peppy was nowhere to be seen, but Fox shook his head and climbed into the cockpit of his Arwing.  
  
Falco silently followed suit, turning on the engine of his ship. "How are we supposed to find this guy?" Falco asked through the receiver in his flight helmet.  
  
"If what our employer said is any indication, it won't be that hard." Fox replied.  
  
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The scorching desert sun shone down on the sharp landscape, but the natural breeze that flowed through the land kept the temperatures from exceeding unbearable levels. Cries of anger and frustration echoed through the empty plains as a pink and red figure charged headlong through it in pursuit of a blue and red blur. "Get back here Sonic!" She screamed.  
  
"Hey, if you want me, ya gotta catch me Amy!" Sonic grinned, running backwards with his arms folded across his chest. He ran just fast enough to keep out of her reach without getting too far ahead of her. "You know that's my number one rule."  
  
"I WILL catch you Sonic!" Amy huffed before collapsing to her hands and knees on the ground.  
  
"Hey!" Sonic slowed to a stop and ran up to her, kneeling down to make sure she was okay. "Amy? I didn't wear you out TOO much did I?" He asked. The pink hedgehog kept her head down for a few moments, then lifted her head with a victorious grin.  
  
"I GOT you!" She lunged for him, but in a blue flash Sonic vanished just before her arms could close around him. "Blast it!" She yelled in frustration. Sonic laughed and shook one finger at her from the top of a nearby boulder.  
  
"Gotta do better than that." He smirked and gave her a wry wink. Amy glared at him, then her eyes went wide and she looked up at the air over his shoulder. Sonic was about to call her on her bluff, but then he felt a heavier breeze than normal flowing through his quills. "What the...?" He whirled around in surprise to see two huge ships hovering in the air in front of him.  
  
One of the ship's cockpits opened and a fox stood up, staring down at him. "Sonic the Hedgehog... you're coming with us." He declared, as if it was already a sure thing. Sonic grinned and turned to face him.  
  
"Number one rule. You want me? You gotta catch me!" Sonic whirled and took off, grabbing Amy with one swoop and streaking through the desert like a blue bullet. Amy screamed and clung to his neck tightly as the landscape passed by underneath them at a breakneck pace. Sonic looked back to find the two ships flanking him at the same speed his was going.  
  
"Sonic! Be careful!" Amy screamed as they passed over a particularly large boulder. Sonic bounced from it to a nearby outcropping of rocks, making his was toward a large canyon just ahead of them. The two ships followed behind him, covered in the massive dust storm created by his passing through. "WALL! WALL!" Amy screamed.  
  
"That's the idea." Sonic grinned as they passed into the canyon. He looked back to see one of the ships still tailing him through the narrow passages. He couldn't see any sign of the second one. Thinking fast, he leapt from one of the larger rocks on the ground, flying onto one of the walls where his feet found every nook and cranny, still propelling him forward.  
  
The ship behind him rose to his level and pulled up next to him. There was a bird-like figure sitting in the cockpit, gesturing for him to go down and moving his beak. Playfully Sonic put one hand to his ear, forcing her pursuer to repeat to the command. With mock frustration Sonic leapt from the wall and landed on the nose of the bird's plane, staring into the bird's shocked eyes.  
  
"WHAT?" He screamed into the wind with a mocking grin. The bird glared at him, but Sonic looked up in surprise when he heard a sound above him. An emerald green blast slammed into the nose of the plane right at his feet, sending the hedgehogs hurtling through the air toward the canyon wall. The bird's ship tilted downward, then pulled up to exit the canyon just before going into an area too narrow for the wide wings.  
  
Amy screamed until the two hedgehogs slammed into the wall and slid end over end down to a nearby ledge. Sonic groaned and pushed himself to his hands and knees, while Amy shook her head and turned to a sitting position. "Oohhh... my head... I think these guys are serious..." Amy muttered worriedly. "There must be some mistake."  
  
"Yeah there's a mistake. They made me mad." Sonic growled and pushed himself to his feet as one of the ships moved to hover in front of the ledge they were on. Sonic took a running leap from the ledge and slammed feet first into the ship with enough force to knock it slightly off balance before bouncing off again. "Come get me!" No longer burdened by Amy's weight, the hedgehog streaked down the side of the canyon and disappeared through the narrower part.  
  
Sonic looked back, somewhat surprised to see his pursuer entering the narrow canyon pass at a sideways angle. With a sneer he pumped his legs as fast as he could, darting through the rock formations that barred his path. A rain of emerald green fire blew chunks out of the surrounding landscape, but the hedgehog leapt through holes in rubble and over fragments of Earth.  
  
Without warning a massive explosion rocked the canyon ahead of them, blocking the way forward with a pile of rubble. Sonic smirked and started up the canyon wall, but his pursuer's right wing slammed into him from behind, knocking him from the rocks. A wild grab saved the hedgehog's life by gripping the edge of the wing as the ship lifted out of the canyon, soaring high into the air.  
  
Sonic clung to the ship's wing, looking at the cockpit. The fox from before was squinting at him. Sonic looked ahead to see the second ship coming right for him, its lasers starting to power up. Sonic pulled himself up to the edge of the wing he was clinging to, kneeling on the edge until the other ship opened fire.  
  
The emerald blast soared right over him as Sonic leapt from the wing, thrusting his torso forward to send himself into a spin as a ball half his normal size. His quills cut through the air from the speed of his spin, hitting home on the second ship's wing. They sliced through the metal like a knife through butter, dropping the wing to the ground and sending the ship hurtling through the air.  
  
Sonic grabbed the severed wing and knelt on the center of it, using the wind to ride it toward the earth beyond the canyon like a hang-glider. The bird's ship plummeted toward the ground, spinning through the air until it slammed into the Earth far below. A thunderous crash echoed through the empty desert, and billows of dust and smoke flew into the air.  
  
Sonic rode the wing to the ground and leapt off just before it hit, landing on the ground in a fast roll until he could jump to his feet and skid to a stop. He whirled as the Fox's ship landed on the sand and the Fox climbed out, running desperately toward his friend's ship. Fire was starting to reach out of the steel hull, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the sky.  
  
Who were these guys, and why were they after him? The symbol on the wing he'd ridden down looked like a winged fox... maybe he could use it to discover their identities? Sonic's mind was racing almost as fast as his feet as he turned to hightail it across the desert. It wouldn't help to try to get them now, they still had one fully functional ship. His specialty was running, not combat. He would need backup if he wanted to do more than get in a lucky shot...  
  
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"Falco!" Fox skidded to his knees beside the upside down cockpit of his teammates Arwing. The glass of the windshield lad scattered across the desert floor. He knelt down as low as he could to peek inside the ship. His friend was still strapped into the Arwing's seat, upside down and unconscious, but it looked like he was still breathing.  
  
"Don't worry Falco, I'm coming." Fox put his hands on the side of the ship and heaved upward, trying to roll it just enough to get underneath. The ship groaned, but remained solidly planted where it was. Fox grunted and strained, but all of his efforts proved futile. "I can't... get it..." He growled. Finally he stopped and slumped on the sand, putting one hand on his head.  
  
"Fox..." Falco's voice floated out from under the Arwing. It sounded hoarse, but it was a relief to hear it at all. "Did we get him?"  
  
"Not yet... but we will." Fox put one hand on the hot steel, smiling slightly. "Just hold on, I'll figure something out." Fox scoured the surroundings for something to help roll the ship over with, but nothing nearby was strong enough. "Maybe I can dig under the sand..." Fox started shoveling handfuls of sand out of the way, but suddenly he saw something reflected in the Arwing's hull.  
  
He whirled out of the way just as a massive golden hammed slammed into the steel Arwing. The entire ship began to vibrate, along with the hammer, which the pink hedgehog from before dropped with a surprised grunt. Falco howled from inside the cockpit, trapped inside of the gigantic bell.  
  
"Ow, ow, owie! That hurt!" The girl shook her hands out, glaring at Fox. Fox stood up and pulled the Blaster from its holster, pointing it at her.  
  
"You're the girl who was with Sonic." Fox quirked one eyebrow. "He just left you behind? Doesn't seem like much of a leader."  
  
"Look, I don't know what your problem is, but you leave my Sonic alone!" The girl managed to restore the feeling in her hands, but she didn't move to pick up her weapon thanks to the blaster pointing at her chest.  
  
"We were hired to bring him to justice." Fox retorted. "And we're going to do that."  
  
"Justice?" The girl exclaimed incredulously. "Sonic's never committed a crime in his life! Except maybe jaywalking... but that's not worth this!" Fox cocked his head and lowered the blaster to his side, though he kept it in hand.  
  
Fox's eyes darted back and forth between the girl and the Arwing, where he knew his teammate was still trapped. He slid the Blaster back into its holster. "We'll sort this out later... I have a friend trapped underneath the Arwing that I have to dig out."  
  
"Fine..." The girl grabbed her hammer and moved out of the way as Fox walked over to the Arwing and resumed digging. He kept his highly sensitive ears were trained for the slightest noise behind him. This would tell if she was really an innocent here, or if it was all an act.  
  
To his surprise the girl knelt down beside him and started pawing at the sand. They worked together to dig enough of a hole to get under the side of the Arwing. Fox removed Falco's seatbelt and carefully pulled him out from under the ship. When he was free Falco looked up at them, with a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.  
  
"Looks you found a cute one here Fox..." He muttered when he saw the pink hedgehog kneeling over him. Amy blushed slightly while Fox gave a slight chuckle. It was good to know his friend was okay... now they just had to give him time to recover, figure out what was going on here, and then find Sonic all over again.  
  
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The hare's wizened old hands lifted the small book from the depths of the bookshelf, turning it over and over as though reading its contents without his eyes. Peppy opened the book and scanned through its contents, looking through the pair of spectacles that had become a necessity in his old age. Even a rabbit's eyes couldn't last forever.  
  
The book flooded his mind with memories, some of which brought a tender smile to his lips, while others filled his heart with the deepest regret. He'd had more adventures than he could possibly remember, ever since James McCloud had started the team. And then of course it continued with his son... Fox...  
  
Without warning a piercing screech echoed through the ship from the intercom, only to vanish as fast as it had come. Peppy looked up in surprise and moved to the door, stepping out into the hall. "Is anyone out there?" He moved slowly down the hall, clutching the book in one hand. "Slippy? Are you up there?" He sidled toward the bridge.  
  
As he pushed the bridge door open something slammed into him from behind, sending him hurtling into the bridge on his hands and knees. He looked back, but all he saw was a silver blur that vanished as fast as it had appeared. He quickly scanned the room, listening to the rapid footsteps on the metal, but the figure remained elusive.  
  
"You, stand still." Peppy pushed himself to his feet, wishing he had a Blaster with him. "What are you doing on our ship?" He demanded. He grunted when something landed on his shoulder, shoving him to the ground and pinning him there face down. The soft hum of the ship was the only sound that remained after the clang of Peppy hitting the metal faded.   
  
His attacker's shadow stretched out in front of him on the cold steel floor. "You... you're one of them..." The figure on his shoulders spoke softly. "I must have been right..." Peppy shook his head, trying to remember. That voice sounded familiar... "You were the ones who ruined my life."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about..." Peppy replied, trying to push himself off the floor. The weight of his attacker kept him down however.  
  
"It doesn't matter." The shadow moved forward as the intruder stepped off of him and started across the bridge toward the command chair. It was a hedgehog with wilver skin. "I suggest you evacuate to the surface... because none of you are leaving this planet until I find the one responsible for all of this." He tapped a few commands and the Great Fox turned in orbit, heading straight down toward the planet.  
  
"No... you can't!" Peppy leapt from the floor and charged at the silver hedgehog. The intruder easily leapt out of the way, landing in a crouch halfway across the bridge. Peppy tried to alter the course of the ship with the control panel, but the systems were already locked down as the ship entered the atmosphere.  
  
"Suit yourself if you want to go down with the ship. I have other matters to take care of." With that the black hedgehog vanished in a silver blur, charging out of the bridge of the Great Fox. Peppy turned to watch the front windshield as the ship ignited on contact with the atmosphere, plummeting uncontrollably toward the ground. This ship had survived a long time... but it looked like that time was over...  
  
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Sonic slowed as he neared the small house overlooking the ocean. Two flights of stairs were dug into the cliff face, and a long runway extended out over the ocean, flanked by a row of lush palm trees. The house was very small, consisting of a small living area, a bedroom, and the hangar where his friend's plane, the Tornado 2, was housed. The sun was already beginning to set... the delay of dealing with his attackers in the desert had cost him much of the day.  
  
Sonic pushed the door open and went inside. He found his small protégé, Miles Prower, sitting at a small desk tinkering with what looked like a ball the size of his fist. At the sound of the door the young two-tailed fox looked over at him, then gave him a wide smile.  
  
"I was wondering when you'd get here. You're pretty late Sonic, and you're never late." Tails pushed his chair back and stood up, gesturing to a comfortable looking couch against one wall. "I'm almost finished with what I wanted to show you, it'll just be another minute."  
  
"Actually Tails, I have something I want you to help me with." Sonic walked up to the desk and pulled out a small piece of scratch paper. Tails watched curiously while Sonic scribbled a rough sketch of the symbol he'd seen on the plane's wing. "Do you recognize this at all?"  
  
"Hmm..." Tails grabbed it and studied it for a moment. "It looks like a winged fox. I have no idea what it could mean. Where did you see it?" Tails asked curiously.  
  
"Me and Amy were..." Sonic trailed off, realizing he'd forgotten something very important in his haste to enlist Tails' help. "Damn... I forgot about Amy! She's still in the desert with those goons!"  
  
"What? We have to go save her!" Tails stood up quickly. Sonic turned to run out of the house, but Tails grabbed his arm before he could proceed any farther. "Let's take the Tornado, it's not as fast as you but it can handle a fight better."  
  
Sonic nodded and turned to head for the hangar. He couldn't believe he forgot about her... he'd been so distracted by the sudden attack that she'd completely slipped his mind. He hoped she was still okay when he got there...  
  
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Amy sat on her knees on the desert sand with Falco's head resting on her lap. The crash had taken a lot out of him, it would take him a while yet to recover. A fire was the only light as night fell aside from the twinkling stars high overhead. Falco was staring up at the sky, while his partner Fox worked on the remaining Arwing to make it seat three people instead of the usual one.  
  
"We apologize... for attacking you." Falco spoke for the first time since they'd pried him out of the downed fighter. Amy blinked in surprise, then gave him a gentle smile.  
  
"Hey, at least you learned not to mess with my Sonic." She nudged his shoulder jokingly. They sat in companionable silence for a few more minutes before Amy spoke again. "So you're a pilot... do you do a lot of this bounty-hunter work?"  
  
"We do what we're called to do." Falco replied. "You know, guard-duty here, saving a planet there."  
  
"Sounds exciting." Amy looked down at him appreciatively. "Well, not for the guys you're hired to stop of course..."  
  
"We don't take dirty jobs." Falco replied. "We were told Sonic was a threat to people around here."  
  
"The only person here Sonic is a threat to is Dr. Eggman." Amy smirked. "I bet you anything he's the one who called you here." Falco grunted, but didn't respond. His eyes scanned the sky until suddenly he blinked and pushed himself up to a sitting position. "Hey, be careful! You're not better yet!"  
  
"No..." Falco's voice was shuddering in horror. Fox looked back at him, then turned his gaze skyward. Amy followed their looks, gasping when she saw a meteor-like fireball plummeting toward the ground trailing thick smoke.  
  
"The Great Fox..." Fox muttered in horror as the fireball vanished over the horizon. The explosion as it hit the ground lit up the night sky like a second sun, forcing all three campers to shield their eyes. It finally faded and Fox shook his head. "I'm going to check it out..."  
  
"Hold up, I'm coming with you." Falco pushed himself to his feet with a grunt, making his way to Fox's Arwing.  
  
"Hey, wait for me! You're not completely healed yet!" Amy rushed after him and climbed in the ship with them. The extra two seats were squeezed into the back, but they were better than sitting on the equipment. The engines flared to life and the Arwing rose from the ground, taking off across the darkened desert landscape.  
  
"Those two had better be alright..." Fox muttered worriedly under his breath. Amy looked back and forth between Fox and Falco, keeping silent. Falco was staring morosely out at the landscape below, one arm held across his bare chest. Amy put one hand on his arm and gave him a comforting smile.  
  
The console started beeping moments before a series of impacts riddled the bottom of the Arwing, a few bullets punching through into the seats. Amy screamed in surprise and the ship veered off to the side, avoiding the continuing stream of fire. "Hold on!" Fox shouted back to them, taking the ship into a rapid spin.  
  
Amy clung to her seat until her arms gave out and she started flying into the air, but Falco grabbed her and yanked her onto his lap, holding onto her with his arms and holding the floor with his bird's claws. "I got you." He told her as the ship went into another spin, narrowly avoiding another stream of fire. The Arwing came around again, putting their attacker in its sights.  
  
Amy looked up and gasped when she saw a blue plane with a figure standing on the top pair of wings. Fox moved to fire, but Amy yelled before he could. "No! Don't fire! That's Sonic and Tails!" She yelled. Fox's thumb moved away from the trigger, but another hail of bullets dotted the hull. "We have to let them know that you're not trying to hurt them anymore."  
  
"If you've got any suggestions, I'm open. Because my only other option is to disable them." Fox brought the Arwing around again, sending it into a barrel roll to avoid one of the Tornado's missiles. It detonated feet from the Arwing, knocking it off kilter. Falco's arms tightened around Amy to keep her from flying against the wall.  
  
"Don't worry Fox, we're here!" A high-pitched voice came over the intercom. Two blips appeared in the radar, and outside Amy could see a missile streaking toward the Tornado.  
  
"Slippy! Hold your fire!" Fox exclaimed too late. The missile barreled into the Tornado's wings, detonating in a spectacular fireball that lit up the surrounding darkness.  
  
"SONIIIIC!" Amy screamed, pressing herself up against the glass windshield that covered the cockpit. Her mouth hung open in shock as the remains of the Tornado plummeted to the ground in a myriad of pieces, blanketing the desert in steel. Amy went numb, sinking back onto Falco's lap, no longer feeling anything. The rest of the world seemed to black out, leaving her alone in this dark world in which she found herself trapped. Sonic... was dead...  
  
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Sonic clung to his friend's hand as tightly as he could as Tails' twin tails spun with the force of a helicopter blade. The smoke from the wreckage of the Tornado 2 covered their descent, allowing them to each the ground undetected. By the time they touched down, the two ships were already gone into the distance. Tails collapsed to the ground panting and nursing his tails.  
  
"I think I pulled something..." Tails growled. One of his tails twitched spastically, but his hands ran over it until it finally calmed down.  
  
"We have to find Amy before they do... but she could be anywhere in the desert by now." Sonic sighed and shook his head. "They might already be holding her captive for all we know." He looked over at his young friend. Tails pushed himself to his feet and moved to stand beside Sonic.  
  
"I wouldn't worry about her too much. She can handle herself." Tails stared after the two ships. "What I want to know is where those things came from. I've never seen anything like them, they made the Tornado look like a bath toy." His tails idly brushed against the ground as his hand reached up to stroke his chin. "I'd sure love to get my hands on one..."  
  
"Maybe we can get our chance." Sonic looked up at the thick smoke trail that still hung in the air. "They owe us a plane now, after all." Tails smiled and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Come on, let's get going." Sonic took off across the desert at a breakneck pace, with his fox friend rushing along behind him.  
  
"Ow... ow! Sonic wait, my tails can't take it right now!" Tails slowed down to let his tails rest, but Sonic double back and scooped the fox up in his arms, resuming his dash through the desert. The smoke lowered toward the ground until they could see a fire lit up in the distance over a small hill. Sonic slowed to a walk and let his friend down as they peered over the hill. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon as they watched.  
  
"Looks like they brought some friends along..." Sonic noted when he saw that a frog and a rabbit had joined the fox and bird from before. He looked past them, seeing their airships sitting just outside the firelight. "This'll be too easy. We sneak around and..."  
  
"Sonic wait... Amy!" Tails pointed vigorously to a point outside the firelight. Sonic looked to see the young pink hedgehog lying facedown outside the firelight with her shoulders shaking. "She's crying... they must have caught her in the desert.  
  
"We have to get her out of there." Sonic looked down at his little friend. Okay, here's the plan...  
  
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	2. Part 2

The sun was rising, bringing with it a new day... but it did little to lighten the spirits of those gathered in the middle of the desert. The two remaining Arwings sat off to one side, quiet and motionless. Peppy had managed to squeeze into the Arwing with Slippy, escaping from the Great Fox before it had hit the ground. The four Starfox Team members were gathered around the fire, while Amy Rose lay to one side, sobbing quietly into her arms.  
  
"I'm so sorry Fox... I didn't know..." Slippy apologized profusely.  
  
"Don't worry about it Slippy... there's no way you could have known." Fox replied softly. He looked over at Peppy, who was polishing his spectacles silently. "So we have a description of the person who crashed the Great Fox... now we need a name, and we need to know why."  
  
"He seemed to know me..." Peppy replied. "And his voice sounded familiar... but this old memory can't quite pick it out." He sighed. Fox gave him a gentle smile and patted his shoulder comfortingly.  
  
"So it's an old enemy of ours." Fox stated simply. "But I can't think of anybody who could have snuck onto the Great Fox without being detected..." They lapsed into silence.  
  
Falco's gaze slid away from the fire toward the young hedgehog girl on the ground outside of the firelight. He stood up and moved silently around his teammates, kneeling down beside the gently sobbing girl. "Who was Sonic to you?" He asked softly. Amy sniffled and looked up at him. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks were soaked with her tears.  
  
"I... I loved him..." She squeaked softly. "I was going to marry him..." She chuckled softly through her tears. "He always played hard to get... but... I know he wanted me too..." Her voice trailed off and she closed her eyes.  
  
Falco nodded and sat down beside her, stretching his legs out in front of him. "I'm sorry." He told her. She looked up at him again. "If we hadn't come, he'd still be here." He looked down at the girl, studying her face carefully. "If we'd known what kind of guy he was... what kind of girl you were... we never would have come." He put one hand on her head and ran it back along her quills, careful to only brush down lest he skewer his hand on the sharp points.  
  
Amy sniffled again and pushed herself to her hands and knees. She jumped against him, burying her face in his chest and wrapping her arms around him. He gently put his arms around her, holding her close and looking up at his teammates. Peppy had pulled out an old book and was flipping through the pages, reading them through the spectacles on the end of his nose.  
  
Peppy stopped when he reached a certain page, running one hand over it slowly. "Project..." He trailed off. Everyone turned toward him, blinking in surprise. "It looked familiar... but it couldn't be..."  
  
"Project what?" Fox asked. Peppy looked up at him, then smiled and closed the book, stuffing it in his flight jacket.  
  
"It's nothing you need to worry about Fox..." Peppy forced a smile. Fox quirked one eyebrow, but didn't force the issue. His sharp ears perked up when he heard the sound of rocks sliding together behind him. He looked back in time to see a small pebble sliding down the small hill. Standing slowly, he drew his Blaster from its holster.  
  
Without warning a blue streaked passed right by him from out of nowhere, knocking the Blaster from his hand and leaping over the firelight. It passed by Falco, and the girl was pulled forcefully from his arms.  
  
"Hey!" Falco jumped to his feet and drew his Blaster, but the blur was already on its way out.  
  
"Hold your fire Falco, he's not our enemy anymore." Fox said quickly. "She'll tell him when we said, and they'll... they'll..." he stopped and turned around in confusion when he heard one of the Arwing's engines powering up. The ship pulled into the air and turned toward them, the lasers aiming straight down at them.  
  
The Starfox Team lurched out of the way as the Arwing passed right over them, flying through the air in the direction Sonic had gone. Falco pushed himself to his feet, kicking the ground. "They took one of our Arwings! We only have one left!" He screamed in frustration. "What are we supposed to do now!? We can't even leave the planet."  
  
"They'll probably come back soon enough when Amy tells him that we don't want to hurt him anymore. If not, we can track the Arwing and take it back." Fox stated as he turned to look around at his teammates. He looked over at Slippy, whose eyes were darting about nervously. "Is there any chance of us salvaging parts from the Great Fox?"  
  
"Maybe, the Great Fox's shielding is designed to withstand big impacts, but I doubt she'll ever fly again as she was before." The frog replied regretfully.  
  
"It doesn't have to." Fox replied. "We just need enough to get ourselves and our Arwings off this planet. Slippy, come with me in the last Arwing and see what you can repair. Peppy, you and Falco will have to walk and meet us there." The four team members nodded and Fox walked up to the last Arwing. Falco looked around at the rest of the team, then turned to stare in the direction Sonic had gone. This was getting too complicated for his tastes.  
  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Amy opened her eyes slowly, blinking against the crimson sunlight and staring in amazement at the blue head that stared back down at her. "Oh... Sonic..." Tears filled her eyes and she sniffled. "What a wonderful dream... I hope I never wake up." She reached up and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug and burying her face in his neck.  
  
"Amy come on... quit joking around." Sonic blushed and pushed her back down on the seat. Amy blinked in surprise, staring up at him in shock. "Are you okay? They didn't hurt you did they?" He asked. Amy looked around, surprised to discover that they were in the cockpit of one of the Arwings, but Tails was in the pilot's seat.  
  
"Sonic... you're alive!" Amy grabbed him again, squeezing him furiously. "I saw the Tornado 2 explode and... and I thought you were still in it! I'm so glad you're okay!" Tears flowed down her cheeks. This time Sonic let her hold onto him, clearing his throat nervously.  
  
"I'm fine... now how about you?" Sonic asked. Amy pulled back somewhat and stared up at him, a wide smile spreading across her face.  
  
"I'm fine..." Amy replied softly. "Falco took care of me until you found me." She told him. Sonic quirked one eyebrow in confusion.  
  
"Took care of you? You weren't their prisoner?" Sonic asked.  
  
"Prisoner? No, it turns out it was all a mistake. Someone called them here by saying you were a criminal." Amy told him. Sonic blinked and looked up out of the windshield, narrowing his eyes. "But it doesn't matter..." Amy tried to cheer him up, nuzzling her cheek against his. "What matters is that you're okay! You didn't explode!"  
  
A soft beeping sound emanated from the front seat, where Tails was busy piloting the plane. "Something's coming at us... fast! Hold on!" Tails jerked the control stick to the side and the Arwing went into a tight turn, but something slammed into one of the wings. The ship spun out of control as the severed wing passed by the windshield, falling ahead of them toward the rapidly approaching ground.  
  
"Sonic!" Amy screamed just before a silver streak of light tore through the cockpit, ripping it in half and sending its occupants hurtling into the air. Amy screamed as she fell toward the ground amid a cloud of metal debris. She looked up, and gasped when she saw a shining silver figure floating in the air in front of her. It looked familiar... but its eyes were deep silver pools of energy.  
  
"Shadow..." Amy muttered. As she watched the silver hedgehog clutched his chest, his face contorting in pain before he streaked away in a bullet of silver light. Amy grunted as something slammed into her and Sonic jumped from debris piece to debris piece. They hit the ground hard, rolling in a heap until they finally came to a stop intertwined with each other. Sonic huddled over her as debris began to fall across the field around them.  
  
Tails landed a few feet away, instantly clutching one of his tails once it was able to stop spinning. "Ow... ow... ow..." Tails spat painfully.  
  
Amy gently pushed Sonic off of her and they climbed to their feet. "Sonic, I saw..." She began.  
  
"I know. I saw him too." Sonic interrupted her, staring after the silver figure. "How did he possibly survive? The entire colony exploded..."  
  
"And why is he after us?" Amy asked. "We never did anything to him... he saved us." She shook her head in confusion as Tails joined them. Sonic looked around, his gaze settling on the wing of the Arwing.  
  
"Maybe he wasn't after us..." Sonic mused. Amy and Tails looked to see the winged fox emblem etched into the ship's wing. "He thought we were the Starfox Team..." Amy scratched her head in confusion.  
  
"But it still doesn't make sense... how would he know them if they haven't been here before..." Amy asked. The boys remained silent, as puzzled by all of this as she was. Either way the Starfox Team was obviously in danger... they had to get to them before Shadow did.  
  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Fox approached the smoking pile of debris that had formerly been the pride and joy of the Starfox Team. His father had helped build the ship, and he'd commanded it for much of his life. Him and Slippy made their way into what used to be the bridge, but the mangling of the entire frame of the ship had distorted it beyond recognition.  
  
The frog stooped to pick up a metal head from the debris. "Alas, poor ROB... I knew him Fox." Slippy said.  
  
Fox smirked and shook his head. "You search the bridge. I'll check the rest of the ship." Slippy nodded and turned back to his investigation as Fox made his way into the back. Room after room and he came up empty. Most of the belongings in the crew's private quarters were completely destroyed. Finally he stepped into Peppy's room, looking around for anything useful.  
  
Looking down, something caught his eye. A page was sticking out of one of Peppy's many journals, with the name "James" written on the top corner. Curiously Fox knelt down and opened the book, fitting the page back where it belonged. He cocked his head to the side and started reading aloud.  
  
"We accepted a strange mission today... to safeguard the construction of this planet's first space colony. James insisted that we should do it, but we were also charged with another task from the planet's government. We're to keep an eye on the scientists who worked on board the station, and make sure they don't do anything they shouldn't. It seems simple to me, so I have no arguments." Fox arched one eyebrow and turned the page, but that was the last writing in the book.  
  
"That certainly sounds like my father." Fox smiled and stood up, stuffing the book into his flight jacket. "Peppy will probably want to keep this." He patted his jacket pocket and turned to leave, but stopped when he heard something banging against the steel hull behind him. He pulled his Blaster from its holster, scanning the room in front of him.  
  
"James McCloud... I've been waiting for you!" Fox whirled again, but he was far too late. Something slammed into him, knocking him to the floorboards with a heavy metallic thud. Fox tried to push himself up, but a silver hedgehog stomped on his chest, shoving him back down. The hedgehog's eyes were eerily blank, glowing a faint silver color.  
  
"Who are you?" Fox demanded, feeling around him for his dropped Blaster. "Why did you call us here?" Fox sneered, recognizing the voice thanks to his keen foxes hearing.  
  
"I want you to see what you and your team did to me..." The silver hedgehog kicked Fox across the face, slamming his head into the hard steel floor. Fox groaned and tried to stay conscious, but the fight soon grew too hard and he plunged into unconsciousness.  
  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Falco covered his eyes as Peppy led him to the downed cruiser that had born them through the cosmos for a long time. It was a sad sight to see it grounded like this, but there was no time to fret about it. Slippy was crawling out of the ship on his hands and knees, blood flowing freely from a series of cuts across his chest and face.  
  
"Slippy!" Falco and Peppy rushed as fast as they could to reach their friend's side. Slippy looked up at them dizzily, swaying as Falco helped him take a seat on a nearby piece of one of the Great Fox's wings. "Slippy, what happened?"  
  
"I don't know..." Slippy replied apologetically. "It was like a... blur. It slammed into me without warning... I was barely able to see it coming." The frog rubbed his head painfully, dabbing at one of the gashes on his face with the sleeve of his flight jacket. "It must have gotten Fox... I haven't seen him since it happened..."  
  
"Damnit..." Falco swore softly, looking back at the Great Fox. Whoever was after them had Fox... and who knew what they would do to him? "We have to find Fox somehow..."  
  
"I think we can help." Falco turned around to see Sonic, Amy, and a small orange fox with two tails whom he didn't know approach. "We know who's behind all this... it's too bad we were too late to warn you guys." Sonic said apologetically. Falco crossed his arms over his chest, nodding for the hedgehog to continue. "His name is Shadow, we're not sure exactly where he came from... but he's very powerful."  
  
"How do we plan to find him?" Falco asked.  
  
"When he attacked us and brought down that plane he was using the power of the Chaos Emeralds. That means he must still have them." The small fox reasoned. "So I can modify your ship there to home in on their power signature. If he has all seven, it should light up the radar screen like a fireworks display." Falco stared at him, then looked back at Slippy, who was being bandaged by Peppy.  
  
"Do it." Falco decided. The small fox nodded and headed over to the Arwing to begin his modifications. Sonic and Amy approached him with solemn looks on their faces.  
  
"Are you okay Falco?" Amy asked worriedly, taking his arm.  
  
"I'm fine..." Falco shook his head and looked down at her. When he looked back up at Sonic the hedgehog's eyes were narrowed viciously, but he didn't show any other sign of hostility. "Once we find them, then what?"  
  
"We rush in and put an end to all this of course." Sonic smirked.  
  
"I don't think that's a good idea." Peppy said from Slippy's side. The frog was lying on a small cot that had apparently been pulled out of the Great Fox. "None of us got any sleep last night. It would be best to rest first, then we move in at full strength."  
  
"Sounds like a plan to me." Falco said. Amy nodded in agreement and looked over at Sonic, who was fuming with his head down.  
  
"Hey, it's YOUR leader, no skin off my nose if you want him dead before we get to him." The blue hedgehog stomped away from them. Amy furrowed her brow worriedly, but didn't follow. Falco sighed and sat on the ground to wait. It would be a while, and Peppy was right about the rest. He just hoped Fox lasted until they could get to him.  
  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Fox McCloud groaned and tried to rub his head, but he found his hands shackled to the wall behind him. Opening his eyes, he gasped at the sight before him. It looked like a huge steel dome, as large as a mountain with streams of light peeking through holes in the stones near the top. The floor had nothing except the shackled that now bond him.  
  
"So you're awake James... good." The voice from before spoke, but the black hedgehog remained out of view.  
  
"My name is Fox McCloud... James was my father." Fox looked around to search for his captor, but there was no sign of him. "He died years ago..."  
  
"Such a pity..." The voice said again. Fox looked up and gasped when he saw a silver hedgehog floating over his head. The floating animal smirked down at him with his eyes dangerously narrowed. "It doesn't matter... someone will pay for what that murderer did to me."  
  
"My father was a great man..." Fox growled darkly. "I don't know what happened to you... but he isn't responsible for it."  
  
"His part was as vital as those who released the gas to suffocate everyone in the colony." The silver hedgehog floated down toward him, floating about a foot off the ground with his arms crossed over his chest. "Your 'father' and his team were assigned to protect the station and report any wrongdoings..."  
  
"If someone there did something they shouldn't have, then they brought it on themselves." Fox interjected.  
  
"When he discovered the truth about Project Shadow... that it was to create the ultimate weapon... he reported it to the government." The hedgehog looked away from him, staring at the steel walls around them as though peering into the past. "They captured Professor Gerald on Earth... and flooded the colony with gas in the hopes of destroying the weapon and everyone who worked on it. Men... women... children... all wiped out!"  
  
Fox listened intently, though his eyes still scanned for a way out of there. "Thanks to Maria... I was spared... and the government thought I was the weapon. They locked me in hibernation to keep me from hurting anyone..." The hedgehog smirked. "Your father... your 'great man', turned a blind eye to the slaughter and walked away with his money."  
  
"He wouldn't do that." Fox bared his teeth. "My father fought for justice... his entire life was dedicated to it!"  
  
"Where's the justice in the death of an innocent young girl whose only crime was trusting her grandfather!" The silver hedgehog moved right up in Fox's face, sneering hatefully. "Where's the justice in watching her suffocate right outside my glass cage... watching her face as all of the life was sucked from her body. I promised her I wouldn't take revenge on humanity... but for your team... who triggered it all... I made no such promise." He turned away suddenly, crouching and putting a hand over his chest. The silver began to fade into black, and groans of pain escaped his throat.  
  
Fox glared at him silently as he stumbled to the middle of the room and stomped on the ground. A pedestal with seven crystals rose out of the floor. The hedgehog's arms were shaking with weakness as he reached into the center of the crystals. A bright glow emanated from the seven crystals, meeting at the point of his hand. The hedgehog closed his eyes as the power flowed into him, once again turning his skin from black to silver.  
  
When he was back to normal he stomped the ground and the pedestal was lowered again. He turned to look back at Fox, smirking. "Your team will be here soon enough to rescue you... when they arrive, I'll take my revenge on all of you." Shaking his head, he turned to floated out of the cavern, leaving Fox pinned to the wall. The young leader lowered his head... his father couldn't have done what he said he did... could he?  
  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
The sun was halfway down the westward sky. The small group was resting, except for Tails who was still busy reconfiguring the Arwing to track the Chaos Emeralds. Sonic was asleep lying against the side of the Arwing, while Peppy and Slippy slept side-by-side near the hull of the Great Fox. Falco was nowhere to be seen.  
  
Amy pushed herself up and rubbed her eyes, climbing to her feet and heading inside the Great Fox. "Falco? Are you in here?" She moved through a series of winding passageways until she came to a door that was at a slight angle from the rest of the wall. She peeked around it to see the bird picking through some things in the closet. A hole in the roof above him let in the sunlight, making him seem to glow in comparison to his surroundings.  
  
"There it is..." Falco smiled slightly and pulled out what looked like a picture, though Amy couldn't see what it contained. The bird stuffed it into his flight jacket and stood up, turning to see her standing in the door. "Oh, Amy. Did you get lost?"  
  
"No... I was looking for you. This doesn't look much like resting." Amy commented as she moved into the room. Everything was destroyed and the steel design didn't do anything for the girl who was used to more natural living, but it was homey in its own way.  
  
"I couldn't sleep." Falco sat down on the remains of what had apparently been his bed and sighed. "For all we know, Fox could already be dead."  
  
"But he could also be alive." Amy walked up and sat on the bed beside him, pushing her skirt down to cover her legs. "That's what we have to hope for... or else what's the point of hope at all?" She asked rhetorically. Falco looked down at her with a gentle smile, nodding.  
  
"You're right..." He told her softly. "Me and Fox have been through a lot... he won't let some psycho kill him." He looked up at the hole above them, staring up at the soft white clouds overhead. Amy nodded and leaned against his shoulder, yawning. Falco put one arm around her shoulders and she snuggled closer to him, closing her eyes.  
  
He sighed and squeezed her shoulder somewhat. Amy smiled, content enough where she lay to stay there for the rest of the day. His arm was so strong, keeping away the confusion and conflicting emotions that had plagued her for the last twenty-four hours.  
  
Her eyes fluttered open when she felt him pull her into his lap. She stared into his eyes as he leaned down, stroking her cheek with one hand as he kissed her deeply on the lips. She closed her eyes and kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. A soft moan escaped her throat as Falco began to push her back onto the bed...  
  
"Wha!" Amy's eyes shot open and she looked around. The sun was further down in the sky outside, and Falco looked like he was sleeping sitting up. Amy shook her head, trying to banish the deep blush from her cheeks as she sat up and straightened her dress, trying to forget the dream. She wanted Sonic... more than anything. She couldn't be having dreams about anyone else.  
  
"Hey, you guys up?" Amy looked at the door to see Sonic staring at them with a frown on his face. She realized she was still leaning against Falco's side and pushed herself up, straightening out her sleep-ruffled dress. "Tails got the Arwing configured... we're heading out." He turned to leave. Amy started after him, but stopped and heaved a sigh. They had a job to do for now... she'd sort things out in her own mind later.  
  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Fox looked up when he heard a dull roar echo through the hollowed out mountain. He recognized it instantly... it was the sound of an Arwing flying overhead. They were there... they probably didn't even recognize the danger they were putting themselves in. His captor was completely insane, and seemed to have enough power to level the mountain if he wanted to.  
  
He couldn't do much about it though. He flinched when an explosion ripped a hole in the top of the mountain, raining boulders and debris down around him. One boulder landed inches from where he stood, almost crushing him under its weight. The sun's rays were crimson gold, telling him that it was already dusk. He'd been hanging there for a long time.  
  
A silver streak flew through the air above the mountain after the Arwing, leaving Fox tied up and helpless. He looked down in surprise when he saw a blue blur streak into the mountain through the hole in the roof, running down the side and stopping right in front of Fox.  
  
"I have a message from your teammates. Get your ass outta here." Sonic reached back and pulled one of his quills out of his back, using it to pick the locks on Fox's wrists. "Falco can't keep Shadow distracted for long, we get out now or we probably don't get out. So get a move on."  
  
"We have to help Falco." Fox said authoritatively.  
  
"Yeah, thanks for the news flash, but unless you know where Shadow stashes the Chaos Emeralds, there's not much we can do." Sonic said. Fox cocked his head to the side and grinned impishly.  
  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
The Arwing plowed through one of the clouds floating across the golden sky. The silver figure followed right behind him, slamming into one of his wings with enough force to send the ship hurtling through the air in a wild spin. Falco grunted and struggled to keep the fighter in the air, turning into the spin and hitting the booster to send him streaking toward the ground.  
  
He pulled up at the last moment, the bottom of the engine knocking the tip off of a sharp mountain peak. "This guy's too fast..." Falco grumbled. He jumped in surprise when the shining silver figure landed on his windshield in a crouch, staring at him with an enraged glare. "Get off my Arwing." Falco jerked his flight stick to the side, sending the fighter into a rapid barrel roll.  
  
His opponent clung to the nose of the ship, smirking as he plunged his fists into it and tore the nose clean off. The pieces of the last remaining Arwing plummeted toward the ground and Falco struggled to keep it in the air, but Shadow lunged forward and broke through the glass windshield. Glass rained down around the bird before Shadow grabbed him, yanking him out of the fighter and sending him sailing toward the ground.  
  
A scream leapt from Falco's throat as he plunged toward the craggy mountain tops, waving his wings in the vain hope that they would finally be strong enough to let him take flight. He was moments from slamming into the rocky crags when another shining figure, this one glittering gold, grabbed him and landed on another nearby mountaintop.  
  
The golden figure turned to glare up at the shining silver form of Shadow. "There's no reason for this, Shadow. None of us did anything to you! The people who did it are all dead!" Sonic shouted.  
  
"Someone... will... pay!" Shadow's silver pools of eyes shimmered as he streaked down toward Sonic like a bullet. Sonic streaked out of the way and circled around Shadow, but Shadow whirled and lunged again in a surprise maneuver that caught Sonic off guard. They both hurtled into the rocks below amid a shower of rocks and debris, punching a crater deep into the mountain.  
  
"All you're doing is opening your own old wounds..." Sonic grunted, trying to push the silver hedgehog off of him. He gasped in surprise however when his golden essence began to drain... sucked into Shadow.  
  
"Things... have changed... Sonic..." Shadow grunted as the last of the golden power drained into him, leaving Sonic powerless and blue. "My body is infused with the Chaos Emerald's energy... they can't hurt me..." He grunted and fell to one knee, clutching his chest. "No... your power... drowned out my own..."  
  
Sonic pushed himself to his feet, staring down at the pained expression on his opponent's face. "You can't live without them, can you? You're dependant on them now."  
  
Shadow looked up at him hatefully, sneering. "I'll finish you... momentarily." He whirled and streaked through the mountains in a black and red blur.  
  
"Hold it!" Sonic took off after him, racing through caverns and across stone bridges until they approached the hollowed out mountain created by Shadow. They passed right by Falco and Amy watching the struggle from the side of a nearby mountain face, with Slippy watching from a safe... long distance. Shadow streaked into the entrance of the mountain, but something lashed out.  
  
Fox's leaping kick caught Shadow in the jaw at full speed, sending him hurtling head-over-heels through the air until he slammed into the hard stone and skidded halfway through the mountain. He groaned in pain and tried to push himself up, but his flesh was badly worn up and his limbs were shaking. Fox and Sonic walked toward him, but Shadow looked to the side, seeing Peppy and Tails guarding the Chaos Emeralds in the center of the room.  
  
"You... you... killed... Maria..." Shadow pushed himself to his hands and knees, crawling toward the wizened old rabbit. "You're the reason... you caused it all..."  
  
"You shut up." Fox growled and stepped up to him, but Peppy just sighed.  
  
"Yes... we did." Peppy said. Fox, Sonic, and Tails all looked at him in surprise, their eyes going wide. "We could have tried to correct our mistake when we saw what the government intended... but we didn't. It wasn't our job... our contract was up." He looked over at Fox, his gaze softening. "James swore we would never make a mistake like that again... that's why he entrusted the Starfox Team to you. Because he knew you would become wiser than any of us were..."  
  
"My father... actually let them all die..." Fox stared at Peppy in shock. Sonic and Tails watched him and Peppy closed his eyes shamefully. This of course meant that nobody was watching Shadow.  
  
"For... MARIA!" Shadow lunged forward with the last of his strength, spinning in the air. His quills sliced through Peppy's flesh before any of the others could react, spraying blood across the cold stone mountain as Shadow collapsed to the ground beyond Peppy's inert form.  
  
"Peppy!" Fox ran up to the rabbit and knelt beside him, lifting his head. "Peppy... no, don't go like this." He shook his shoulders... but it was already too late. The rabbit had been so old... the shock must have killed him almost instantly. Fox closed his eyes and lowered his head in respect. "Rest easy... old friend."  
  
Sonic and Tails approached Shadow, who was shaking on the ground in weakness. His eyes surged with silver energy, but that energy was rapidly fading. "Guess you finally got your revenge..." Sonic spat venomously. "Time for you to move on." He turned to walk away as the black hedgehog shuddered, looking down at Peppy's limp body.  
  
"I'm coming... Maria..." He closed his eyes slowly, until he fell limp to the ground.  
  
Fox stood up and turned around, watching Sonic and Tails leave the mountain. He looked down at Peppy again and with a final sigh turned to follow them out.  
  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Amy sat on top of Tails' small house, watching Tails and Slippy work on restoring an Arwing enough to get the Starfox Team back into space. The sun was fading behind the ocean in front of the building, with a cool ocean breeze sweeping in from the water. Sonic was entertaining himself in the plains, challenging himself to match the speed of the wind so that he could run without his quills moving. Fox sat underneath one of the palm trees lining the runway for the Tornado, staring out across the water. Falco... was nowhere to be seen...  
  
"You look like you have a lot on your mind." Amny squealed in surprise and turned to see Falco standing on the roof behind her. She hadn't even heard him climb up. He moved to sit beside her, watching Slippy and Tails work.  
  
"I guess so..." Amy blushed, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. "I would imagine you people get lots of instances like this happening..."  
  
"Not really." Falco shrugged. "But you learn to roll with whatever happens."  
  
"Oh..." Amy looked out at the water. Her hands wrung together in front of her nervously and she gulped slightly. "Falco... I guess we should talk..."  
  
"Better not." Falco replied. Amy looked over at him in surprise. "I'm leaving soon, no matter what you say. Not really much to be done about anything on your mind." He looked down at her seriously.  
  
"I... suppose..." Amy sighed wistfully.  
  
"Besides... I thought I heard you had someone else in mind." Falco told her. Amy blushed and looked down at Sonic who was little more than a blur in his race with the ocean breeze.  
  
"You're right..." Amy nodded. "But... I won't forget you Falco." She looked up at him with wide, wet eyes. "I hope you all fare well..."  
  
"Yeah... same here kiddo." Falco nudged Amy's shoulder and turned to leave, heading for the other side of the roof. Amy watched him climb down, then turned to look out over the ocean again.  
  
So two suns set... but still more remained aloft. Nobody had escaped unscathed though... especially Fox. He'd lost his longtime friend and partner, in addition to learning that his father had helped to kill an entire station of innocent people. There was no way to justify it... he'd always imagined his father was a perfect good man. That was gone... but still Fox swore to be better than he was... he would never make those mistakes.  
  
THE END 


End file.
